the midst of the Paradise of God and even in any of the sadnesses of the Servants of God by reason of Afflictions Temptations any Agonies of Conscience Desertions there is Light in the midst of that Darkness whereas in the false Joys of counterfeit Repentance there are such either presumptuous sensual Intermixtures or such a want of true Spiritual Light that the midst of that Joy is Heaviness But the Fruit of this Repentance is that Peace of God that passeth all understanding Phil. 4.7 guarding the Heart and Mind through Jesus Christ 5. To all these both Motives Means and Signs of Repentance must be always added Prayer even all Prayer and Supplication with Perseverance and continuance therein even to extraordinary Watchings and Fastings as occasion requires Ephes 6.18 Colos 4.2 Luke 11.9 For as the Soul in Prayer and Supplication feels the strong motions and excitations of Repentance by setting before our selves and making close Applications of our selves to the great considerations of God of Christ of Sin of Holiness of Eternal Happiness and Misery so herein is the earnestness of Supplication asking seeking and knocking for the Holy Spirit engaged and employ'd as knowing him the supreme Mover Principle and efficient of Repentance and the Divine Spirit coming down to Dwell in the Spirit of the true Penitent and shedding its efficacies and operations in it as a Spirit of Grace and Supplication seals to the Soul the truth of Repentance and becomes a spiritual visible sign and evidence of the Truth of it as Christ says of Paul upon Repentance behold he Prayeth Acts 9.11 6. Some Great and Heroick Acts and Effects of Repentance according to the Ability and Opportunity of Persons and according to the Sins persons have been guilty of before Repentance are sometimes absolutely necessary Evidences of the Truth of Repentance and sometimes Illustrious and extraordinary Signals of the mighty Power and Force and largeness of Efficacy in this grace of Repentance where it meets with Subjects whom God by outward enablements of Providence as well as inward Grace and Power hath fitted hereunto Such are in cases of great Scandal and publick Offence publick and open Confessions of sin endeavours and close Applications upon Persons that have been of the knot and fellowship of our sins or private Parties and confederates in them moving them by all the Sentiments of our Minds and the Affections of our Hearts to Repentance sollemn Fastings and Humiliations with usual Watchings not only for the Taming bringing Down and Abasing of our selves and by the acknowledgment of our own unworthiness of the least of Mercies and that we are worthy of Wrath and Judgment only and to be strip'd of all Enjoyments but because the Heart is so taken up and engag'd that it can mind nor attend nor be at leisure for the most necessary Refreshing of Bodily Nature which is made and taught and disciplin'd as heretofore to serve sin so now to cry out for Mercy and Pardon and to undergo the severities of Repentance and to be brought under to them in extraordinary Weepings according to the most Affectionate Emotions of the Soul and suitable Temper of Body And such as these are also the Acts of just Restitution to persons injured according to our utmost Abilities or great Alms-givings and acts of Mercy of which Zaccheus Luke 19. is a great Example Great Acts of Service to Jesus Christ in the Salvation of Souls either by our own personal Ministry as Paul so zealously Preaching the Faith Gal. 1.23 Psal 66.16 he once destroyed or private endeavours by Holy Discourses and Declarings what God hath done for our Souls by Exhortations and good Counsels by Holy Examples by great Liberalities for the promotion of Christianity and the Powers of it in Repentance and general Reformation and bringing in Souls to the most publick open and notorious renunciations of former sins and the very instruments of them of which we have a great example in the burning their Magical Books of so great valew Acts 19.19 Job 34.31 These are not to be bound as heavy Burdens to the entanglement and enthralment of Conscience upon All but according to the opportunities and advantages Persons have their state of Body temper of Mind freedom of Time abilities of Estate and leaving to supreme Grace the giving of various degrees of Grace and making among the Pleiades the watry Weeping Stars of Repentance one Star to differ from another in Glory But when there is a meeting and concurrence of all these or an eminency in any they who can shew forth the truth of Repentance in these Fruits Job 38.41 1 Tim. 3.13 purchase to themselves good Degrees in the Academy or School of Repentance and bring great Honour to Christ and to it and according to our Talents receiv'd sincerity in each of them is essential to the truth of our Repentance and if they are in us and abound they make us to be neither Barren nor Vnfruitful in this great Gospel Grace given from the Lord Jesus but without any trurh of them we are as a Well without Water Clouds without Rain frothy Waves driven of some Imaginary or Earthly Winds and Vapors Epist Jude v. 12. and tossed and in great danger of prooving falling Stars for whom is reserv'd the blankness of darkness for ever 4th I come now to the Fourth Head in this Head of the Doctrine of Repentance viz. The great saving benefit the blessing of this Grace and Gift of Repentance which hath the upper and the neither Spings Josh 15.19 from the neither Springs all gracious Affections and Fruits of a sollemn and serious Resipiscency or growing Wise upon sad Afflicting Remembrances and reviews of sinful ways and the upper Springs of Joy Peace Happiness and Blessedness for ever and eternal Rejoycings we have so Sorrowed so Repented Of this I will give but a very short Representation because the enlargement upon it more properly belongs to another grand principle in the Doctrine of Christ and yet what I do say I will endeavor distinguishingly to Discourse it to the Doctrine of Repentance and with a peculiarity to it 1. In that it is Repentance to Salvation wrought by a sorrow after God it is ordain'd by God as a security and preservative by his especial Grace in Christ from everlasting Weeping Wailing and gnashing of Teeth a Repentance without any Fruit or Effect but a continual Circulation of it self in Horrors and fruitless renewals without ease or remedy without possibility of Amendment of recovery to God and Holiness For in Hell there is no such Woe therefore to you that Laugh now without this true Repentance For you shall weep and weep for ever it is the state of utter Darkness extremity of Darkness and to extremity of Duration even Eternal Duration But true Repentance hath had its Proportion here 〈◊〉 this World of sorrow that God Accepts in Christ and through his Agonies for sin 2. It is not only a
Instruction c. 33 16. c. 36.10 This is that earnest motion of Natural Conscience to take fast hold of Repentance to return all it can after it hath lost its Inocency Purity and â—erfection of Righteousness and Obedience even as it should have mov'd first powerfully and effectually against sin and to good and the same motion of Natural Conscience that is to the one is to the other also when it is stirr'd up by further Gâ—ace from the Spirit of God and there are generally such motions as argue this work in the Heart when the Conscience is not depriv'd of sense Feeling Vigor not twice Dead pull'd up by the roots deliver'd up to a reprobate sense and when God hath given so great and gracious Aussrance that Repentance shall find Plâ—ce for it self That this state is not Hell either in regard of the height of Wickedness or unpardonableness it is an easy and very Intelligible Declination of Conscience from the Azimuth the highest point of Innocency to the next point Repentance which by the righteousness and obedience of the Redeemer shall transcend the very first heighth But that indeed is known by Revelation and not by Natural Light But take Repentance as it is the necessary reserve after sin and that God hath provided it a Place so it is near and even next to Natural Conscience Posit 2. The second position I lay down concerning Repentance and that gives the truest degree of its Elevation through the Redeemer is That the word of God in the Old and New Testament gives the clearest and fullest knowledg of Repentance and of the Divine Spring of it the grace of God in Christ and the blessed operation of the Holy Spirit through his Redemption Repentance therefore is found to be one of the principal Doctrines of Scripture whein it is conveyed unto us under all the variety and complex of Notions that can express so great a point to us viz. remembring bethinking turning converting renewing amending searching and Trying our ways turning to the Lord bringing forth fruits meet for Repentance The Revâ—lation of the word of God beyond all expression excells Natural Knowledg concerning it It opens to us the great Prince the Redeemer and Mediator who gives it a place a possibility he is the Prince whom God hath raised up to make this supreme Donation Acts c. 5.35 c. 3.26 repentance and forgiveness of Sins and blesses in turning us away from every one of our Iniquities Scripture opens to us that great and blessed Spring â—â—d â—fficient of it viz. the true grace of God and the blessed Spirit is the efficient of it It lays before us the great motives of it the sense of the favor and goodness of God who will have mercy Esa 55.7 Heb. c. 12.24 v. 29. and abundantly Pardon seal'd to us by so great an Attonement as the Blood of Jesus speaking better things than the Blood of Abel and on the other side a dread of him who is a consuming fire the living Gâ—d into whose hands in his wrath and displeasure It is a dreadful thing to fall the wrath that is to come 1 Thes 1.10 and ever to come it gives us all the qualifications of it Repentance with the whole Heart turning from all our evil ways and all the evil in our evil ways it moves us with all manner of Applications that may stir us up to it commands exhortations counsels Threats it never leaves speaking Ezek. 18.30 and crying out to us Repent it says to us Repent and turn your selves Matt. 4.17 so Iniquity shall not be your Ruin It preaches Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Ezek. 18.30 it even weeps over us that we would do it Luke 19.42 Turn you turn you for why will ye Die It weeps when we have not known even we in our day the things of our peace It offers it as the only remedy against Eternal Misery Repentance is advised expresly to five of the seven Churches Revel c. 2. c. 3. to shew the universality and necessity of its use It is one of the great principles of the Doctrine of Christ Heb. 6.1 and thus Repentance is the most Native Domestick Doctrin of the Word of God and of the Gospel of Jesus Christ so that what is found in the Light of Nature serves to these lower purposes only 1. It serves to the purpose of Human Order Government and preservation of the World from falling into a perfect Hell for were there not some sentiments of God of his Mercy and readiness to forgive tending to make men better were there not a sense of the goodness of Righteousness Temperance Mercy and of all Virtue not only as what we should first be but also what we should endeavour to return to when we have Fallen were there not such a thing as Vicious Men being restrain'd from running into utmost excess and extremity and as being reclaimld corrected reform'd moderated and cultivated by precepts of Natural Religion Wisdom add Morality all which flow from and are specimens of the Scripture Doctrin and grace of Repentance the World would be a stye of sensualists and impure Creatures wallowing in bruitish and worse than Swinish Lusts And did not this Notion sweeten men one to another the World would be a Desert or Wilderness of Savage and Wild Beasts tearing in peices one another and both ways a Hell of a World 2. Hereby God will justify himself in the condemnation of the Pagan World that they have not only the Law Written in their Hearts but so much of the Gospel also as this great notion of Repentance Teaches For when the Respit of forty Days imported it to the King and City of Nineveh why should not that Patience wherewith God governs even the Pagan World Preach Repentance to it Why should they not be led to Repentance by the Witness they have of God and of his goodness in giving them fruitful times and seasons and silling their Hearts with food and gladness which he would not leave himself without in his great Wisdom and Righteousness as well as Mercy and Grace How does this riches of Goodness Long-suffering and Forbearance Rom. 2.3.4 if not lead them to Repentance justify their Condemnation who after their hardness and Impenitent Hearts Treasure up to themselves wrath against the day of wrath So that as Niniveh shall rise up in Judgment with those who repented not at the Preaching of Christ the greater than Jonah so it shall rise up in Judgment with other Heathen Nations Cities and People who might by the same proportion have been argued to Repentance so that tho God hath in his supreme Dominion and Justice thought fit to deny them what Christ says They would have repented in Sack-cloth and Ashes upon yet even by the standard of Nineveh's Repentance they 'r not Repenting by that Light they have will be Condemned at the manifestation of that righteous Judgment of Gâ—d the Apostle speaks
stand for ever obliged and deeplyest indebted to true Grace that not only their after thoughts and Judgment in Repentance are accepted but that they are Retriev'd by the Eâ—â—cacious Operations of it to Newness of Life General 2d I have thus far open'd the Nature of Repâ—nâ—ance by considering the strict and precise Notion of it and shewing how excellent admirable and even noble a Grace this Evangelical Grace is even in that strict and precise Notion I will now go on to consider it in the excellent motives and Incentives to it that will further shew the excellency of its Nature and then the signes of its Truth that it is Repentance of the true Alloy the truly excellent Nature under that great sign It is Repentance to Salvation and that is never to be Repented of which is the Second General under this Third Head in the Doctrin of Repentance Particular 1. I begin with Motives to this true Repentance wherein I Record these following of which I will but briefly speak having already comprehended much of them And as they are motives so they are to be look'd upon as the highest means and instructions fitted by God for Repentance and the Soul accordingly is to apply and stretch forth it self in the use of them 1. The principal not Motive but Mover is the Supreme Grace and Operation of the Divine Spirit who siâ—s as a Refiners Fire and Fâ—llers Soap within the Temple of the Soul Malac. 4.2 Zech. 12.10 Esay 4.4 is a Spirit of Grace and of Supplication a Spirit of Judgment and Burning washing away the Filthiness of the Flesh and of the Spirit The divine Spirit is the great Superintendent of the Grace and Work of Repâ—nâ—ance by his inward Motives and Overshaddowings of the Soul For seeing Repentance is the Gift and Grant of God Acts 11.18 2 Tim. 2.25 Luke 11.20 the Divine Spirit that is the Power and Finger of God must needs be the Supreme Operator What the Love of God is the Fountain of in the Divine Operation that the Spiâ—it of God by whom the last Operation and â—ffect is in every thing perfected is the immediate Hand and Finger that bâ—ings it to pâ—ss and so what Jesus Christ is a Prince to Giâ—e that which is his the Riches the Pâ—â—chase of his Redemption his Spirit is sent John 16.15 he sends him in the Fathers Name to take of it and to give it to â—is Râ—dâ—emed Repentance therefore being the â—urchase of the Reâ—emption of Christ he gives it as â—he Fruit of that Redemption and whence else should Repentance arise For except by vertue of the Redemption of Christ it were Created and Lorn with us It is noâ— in aâ—y Created Power to raise or to bring it forth That belongs to the all Creaâ—ing Power That Christ hath shored up the Moral Faculties so far as to preserve the possibilities of Repentance is Evident and to his Glory be it declared That by him the same motions and endeavours that Natural Conscience hath to Holyness and Righteousness before sin the same it hath to Repentance after sin and so even as in sinning so in not Repenting the Impenitent Sinner is most righteosly Condemned But even as a Man cannot exert nor put forth his Faculties to Holiness and Righteousness before sin without a Regâ—neration and new Creation even so can he not after sin either as it is habituâ—l in his Nature or as he is fallen by innumerable Actual Sins return by Repentance except by the speciâ—l Assistances of Divine Grace and Almighty Power For surely as nothing lies for ever in a state of nothing except an almighty moover gives Being from himself so Impenitency lies for ever in a state of Impenitency except an infinite Spirit of Grace give Repentance to â—ife which shews that mankind stands in no other state for Repentance than it does to Holiness and Righteousness There is that preserv'd in him that shews the goodness of both and moves him to both but how to Perform in either he finds not but as he is Assisted by Infiâ—ite Grace and by an Infinite Spirit And this shews Supremacy of Grace distinguishing between those to whom it gives Repentance unto Life and to whom it does not give even â—s it destinguishâ—s between those to whom it gives Regeneration Renovation new Creation to Holiness and Righteousness and to whom it does not give For except these even Repentance new Creaâ—n Regâ—nâ—raâ—ion were so by Christ communicated to our very Natures that every man had them by the very Grace of conâ—iâ—â—ing Creâ—tion except he Lost it for himself as Adam did Original Righteousness for himself and his Posterlty which no man will dare to assert it is so evident to the contrary else what is not never will be and what is at Rest will never move except an Almighty Mover give it Motion For though it is true the Engrafted Notions of Righteousness and Holiness first and then of Repentance in case of sin or Fall have a Residence in the very Spirit of Man or Human Nature except utterly quench'd by a Malice even Diabolical as in the sin against the Divine Spirit yet they cannot rise beyond themselves to true Repentance without a new Donation from God and Christ by the Holy Spirit and only shew the exceeding first Corruption and Degeneracy of Human Nature and aggravate Condemnation in that they reach not that end they should reach to nor indeed to their own utmost possibility but men are condemn'd and depriv'd of further Grace by not improving the Talent given to them so far as they indeed might But from all this it arises that the Supreme Mover in true Repentance is the Holy Spirit of Grace and if there be any appearance of Repentance that is not a Repentance given from the Divine Spirit it is not the Repentance to Salvation not to be Repented of but a semblance and Counterfeit only of it Now in this point I have been the larger be cause I had not before spoken to it I shall but just name thâ—se following because I have before comprehended them in former Particulars 2. The sense of our own lost condition without Repentance is generally the first motive to Repentance in which regard our Lord pronounces once and again except ye Repent you shall all Perish â—uke 13.3.5 Repent and turn your selves so iniquity shall not be your ruin Cast away your Transgressions make you a new Heart and a new Spirit for why will you Die Implying this as the great motive to Repentance that without it we must needs Die Ezek. 18.30 Acts 17.31 God commands all Men every where to Repent because he hath appointed a day wherein he will Judg the World The consideration of a Judgment to wit of Condemnation upon an Impenitent Person as one great motive to Repentance God is pleas'd therefore generally to usher in Repentance by a shaking an Earthquake in the Soul shewing it the Horrors of Wrath and eternal Punishment which is call'd
that gives Repentance to Israel and Forgiveness of Sins And blessed you For ever Blessed are they whose sins are forgiven and whose Iniquities are pardoned here are the Rivers of the Waters of Life the Tree in the midst of the Paradice of God Jesus Christ thus Revealed and thus received and heartily embraced will put an end to all differencies debates and controversies He that hath this Anointing from above this well of Life springing up in him unto Everlasting Life will not Bless himself in an Idol nor be pleased with any pompous Worship knowing the King's Daughter is all glorious within and Circumcision is that of the Heart he knows not nor acknowledges any as Lords over God's Heritage but is assured That the Son of Man came not to be Minister'd to but to Minister The things contained herein are the true sayings of God according to the Holy Scriptures making the man of God perfect throughly furnished to every good work Did all men that have the worthy Name of Christian profess and practise what is herein pressed to and called for we should see Jerusalem a quiet Habitation a sure Dwelling Place for none shall then indeed harm us if we are followers of that which is good Here are plain Gospel Truths that whosoever stumbles thereat it is because Christ is to him a stumbling stone and rock of offence and yet misterious and deep that one can never find the bottom a River that men may swim in O Christian whenever thou art so conversant in these things let thy profiting appear to all men let the Dead bury the Dead but go thou and follow Christ as soon as ever he calls thee Never go to thy Father's House and bid them there farewel go to Christ whensoever in the Gospel he calls thee or speaks to thee by any private whispering Go in all thy rags say with the Prodigal Tho I have spent all upon Harlots and am Starving having fed upon Husks I know in my Father's House there is Bread enough and to spare and here I perish with hunger I will arise and go to my Father and will say unto him Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee yet Take me into thy Family tho I be but as one of thy Hired Servants To whom the Father will say Don't stand Doubting come in come in to my House bring forth the best Robe and put it on him c. I think nothing too good for thee my Son now thou art returned not a word what thou hast been now thou art returned I will receive thee tho thou hast not a penny in thy Purse nor any good quality in thee but this thy coming back to me Thou must starve if thou keep wandring from thy Father's House If I don't feed thee thou perishest thou hast be-thought thy self at last and art come home stand not at the door any longer starving in the cold and for hunger Away Away with thy provious Dispositions and good qualifications before coming Welcome Welcome come in come in do not stand at the door I am glad thou art come Who ever thought to have seen thee returning again Bring hither the Fatted Calf kill it and eat and be merry How merry sinner canst thou be And they now begin to be merry yea and all the Angels stand by and rejoyce O! here is a Feast indeed But this makes the Elder Brother the proud Pharisee to stand off powting and grumbling And he will never more come into his Father's House For he was never so kindly dealt with yet never Trasgressed at any time he was qualified and deserved Entertainment he had done many a good Work he had bore the Burthen and Heat of the Day and therefore expected to have received more than they that came at the Eleventh Houre to whom God will say Is thine Eye evil because mine is good Let us then all be deligent to lay up for our selves a Treasure in Heaven we see or may see All things here Perish with the using This is a shaking time God is now shaking all Nations and it is that the desire of all Nations may come He that Epistolizes this is a Friend to the Author and well acquainted with his endeavours to press after and Witnessing for him as well skilled in the truth and the inside of Religion That he is a man taught of God and wishing well to all that are gone beyond him and hoping the Lord will not despise the day of small things knowing the humble he will teach his way and the meek he will guide in Judgment I have pressed the Author to permit these things to come to light which at last is condescended to If God bless it to they Edification Conversion Reformation say It is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that shews mercy for neither is he that planteth any thing nor he that watereth Any thing but God that giveth the Increase to him be glory and praise for ever and ever Amen To the most Reverend THE EPISCOPACY OF THE Church of ENGLAND I Do not arrogate to my self Most Reverend in our Lord in Presenting to your Hands this following Discourse to offer you any thing but what you have before receiv'd from the most Excellent Master and Teacher the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures and Word of God Given by the Great High Priest and Apostle of our Profession that One Shepherd the Chief Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls Christ Jesus and what you your selves have often I have greatest Reason to hope and believe Discours'd with clearest Evidence to the Understandings and Convictions upon the Consciences of them that heard you This notwithstanding I have very great Reasons for making this Humblest Offerture to you 1. That by discoursing and arguing a point so acknowledgly Great so Fundamental and Essential not only to Christianity but to Natural Religion and all Morality If it shall be acceptable to you as I cannot but trust it will because it is so agreeable to Scripture I may reconcile my self to your more not only Favourable but Deep Consideration in so great Points of the sure Word of Prophecy as I have heretofore presented to you and have made some Reference unto in this very Doctrine of Repentance as most Connatural to it For though I know there is a Difference between such a plain and uncontestable Truth of Scripture as Repentance is and what lies in the darker Folds and Plaits of Scripture in the Hieroglyphick Figures and Prophetical Numbers of it and it may seem therefore impossible or highly improbable that I especially should attain the Certainty of the Words of Truth to answer and apologize the Words of Truth in the great dependencies of Prophecy to them that send to me for them But as it is well urged against the enemies of the Natural Religion as well as Revealed that though there cannot be Mathematical Demonstration of those Great Truths as of Euclid's Propositions yet there may
so many Discourses that the Kingdom of Heaven is nigh at Hand that upon that very Consideration you may be most Zealous in it So I earnestly Pray you may be Blessed in your Lord finding you so doing Verily I say unto you he shall make you greater Rulers in a truly Evangelical Sense than now you are And as to the black and dark side I make no mention of it because I am perswaded better things of you and such as Accompany the Salvation and Glory of that Kingdom Herein I am Your most Humble and Affectionate Orator T. BEVERLEY A Discourse upon Evangelical Repentance to Salvation not to be Repented of and the Godly Sorrow working it 2 Cor. 7.10 For Godly Sorrow worketh Repentance to Salvation not to be Repented of but the Sorrow of the World worketh Death THERE is no more Universal Notion in the Soul of Man in those Things wherein he hath to do with God or even with Man or with Himself then to Repent that is to be sorry for what he hath done Amiss and wherein he hath Offended and to Resolve and Promise to Amend and to do the Evil he hath done no more It is fitted as a great Instrument of Reconciliation and a second state of Innocency a Reserve after the Ruin and Shipwrack of our First Innocency a Remedy a Reparation after the first Advantages of doing well are lost And it is the infinite Grace of God in a Mediator that there is such a Notion in the World It preserves it from being a Hell in regard either of the extremity and utmost Rages of Wickedness or of the Horrors and Fury of Despair It is the infinite Grace of God in a Redeemer That there is a Place of Repentance as the Apostle calls it Heb. 12. that is place and room for it in mans Heart and that there is place for it in the Acceptance of God that God does not scorn and utterly reject it against him that hath once sinned That he is not inexorable and not to be intreated concerning it For how woful and even Hellishly Miserable would man be without it That the Nature of Man is inclin'd to offer and accept such Repentance one towards another and so that there are mutual Forgivenesses among men and not unappeasable hatreds and that there is in a mans own Conscience a preparedness to acquiesce to be satisfied to Rest and to be Appeased upon finding in the Soul and Action a sorrow for sin and Reformation from it All this keeps the World from being absolutely Hell For Sorrow Dislike Trouble Remorse for what a Man hath done evil move a man to review to acknowledgment to bewailing to confession to change and reformation to a new course of Life and Action Seeing then Man is such a fallen such a Peccant and offending Nature it is infinite grace in God that there is such a Notion such Action in mans Soul as Repentance and that there is not an utter irreconcilableness an unpardonableness after Offense committed neither in Heaven nor on Earth not in the Court of Heaven nor in the Court of Human Nature one towards another nor in the Court of a mans Conscience within himself If it were not so every sin would be like the Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit Matt. 12. Unpardonable and because Unpardonable Impenitable or not to be Repented of and that not only in this World but in that which is to come the World would become a Theater of sin and damnation even a Hell without any Chancery any Appeal to Grace to Mercy or Relenting of Repentance from the hopes of Mercy the reverence and awes of Goodness and Forgiveness Now that which lies loose and scattered or disseminated sown through the whole human Creation That the word of God especially in the Gospel in the New Testament that the Spirit of God hath collected into a more full and solemn Doctrine and open'd the Foundation and laid bare and in view the root or the great place of it How it hath room and reception what are the Sources springs of Efficacy from which it Rises even in the Sacrifice Blood and Redemption of Christ and the mighly Efficacy and Grace of the Divine Spirit what is that godly sorrow which is given by God as the Elaboratory or the Instrument of God for the Operation of it what are the Laws and Rules of it the true form and constitution of it what are the motives and inward considerations mooving to it what are the signs and evidences of its Truth what is the proper time and space for it It resolves the Scruples or Cases of Conscience that may arise in the Soul of Man concerning it it shews the great Fruit certain Benefit and Advantage of it And all these are either most innately residing or some way reducible to this great and excellent Context of the Apostle in which regard I have chosen it and shall endeavour to bring Light accordingly to it and according to these heads I will by the grace of God endeavour to Discourse it 1. In regard it is Repentance to Salvation and that Salvation is no other but in Christ alone Acts 4.12 it plainly shews That the whole Redemption and Salvation of Christ is the proper Basis and Foundation of it the whole Area Court Space and most proper place of it and that the whole Notion and Spirit of it as any way Commensurate to or extended upon the whole human Nature hath its Rise and Original flows from some Communication to the human Nature from Jesus Christ the Redeemer and that yet the word of God and his Gospel only Reveals it fully and genuinely and his spirit is the supreme Operator of it 2. Here is plainly laid down to us the Elaboratory or Instrument God hath prepared in infinite Wisdom and Grace and inlay'd the Soul with in order to Repentance First as it is a Natural Affection subservient to it and then as it is Sanctified by God to so great an end Godly sorrow or sorrow after and according to God worketh down Repentance or brings it forth a sorrow opposed to the sorrow of the World that worketh Death 3. In that it is 1. Repentance to Salvation effectual to it 2. Repentance not to be Repented of 1. Not as a false counterfeit Repentance to be Repented of 2. Always to be carried on and promoted and not recall'â— repeal'd or revers'd but confirm'd by progressive repeated Acts and renewed after Falls 3. In that it is to or lays hold of Salvaetion 4. In that it rises not from an earthly spring or any sorrow not after God In all these Regards it yeilds just reason to Discourse the true Laws and Rules the Frame and true constitution the motives means and considerations for the signs and evidences of sincere Repentance 4. The admirable Fruit and Benefit of it is most visibly and illustriously set forth before us in those words It is Repentance to Salvation not to be repented of 1. It is
of in that forenam'd Rom. 2. 3. The great Goodness of God in Christ giving the Notion of Repentance into the Heart of Man seeing the Original of whatever is worthy or Excellent in Man is but a Transcript or Copy taken from the supâ—eme Excellency and Goodness hath thereby dlspos'd the Hearâ— of Man to a Readiness to forgive one man to forgive another and thereby to be engaged to an Acknowledgment of Offences one againâ—t anoâ—her to desire Pardon and to offend no more Wherein much of the Peace and Happiness of Humane Nature in this present state is supported and preserv'd And herein and by these very mutual Repentances toward and Forgivenesses one of another is there a greater Illustration of the Grace and Goodness of God in Pardon and Forgiveness upon Repentance and thereby an Invitation Encouragement and leading to Repentance towards God For in that the Gospel-Command to forgive them who having trespassed against us tho seven times a day turn again and say I repent and that if we forgive not men their trespasses neither will our Heavenly Father forgive us Our Lord both appeals to the Sense of Mankind and excites and encourages unto Repentance towards God in hope of Forgiveness as well as to mutual Repentances and Forgiveness for the Peace and Good of Mankind to which our Lord had great Regard in all he said and did 4. The Natural Light God hath given concerning Repentance and the Sense in Man's Soul concerning the Goodness and Reasonableness of that Grace and Duty upon which the Redeemer hath pointed the Law written in the Heart is as a Ground and Rude Draught that the Knowledge of Repentance by the Word of God and Divine Revelation accomplishes and fills up and that the Spirit of God plants his Supreme Operations upon even as Sanctification is engrafted into that Sense of Good and Evil that is found in the Soul of Man and those Irritations and Provokings of Natural Conscience to do the Good and fly from the Evil. For thus Jesus Christ hath as our Creator and Redeemer our Preserver and Mediator in one taken Care to secure a Remnant and Remainder of whatever was excellent in his first Creation that it may be taken hold of and be applied to in Redemption And thus I have â—â—deavoured to discourse the Ground-work and Foundation of this Grace Duty and Doctrine of Repentance That it is all setled in the Grace and Mercy of God in the Redeemer without which it had been an utter Impossibility and there had been no more nor any other Repentance than what is in Hell I come therefore to the Second Head Head 2. Here is plainly laid down to us the great Elaboratory or Instrument God hath prepared in infinite Wisdom and Grace and in-laid the Soul with in order to Repentance Godly Sorrow or Sorrow after and according to God worketh down or brings into Effect this Repentance This God hath prepar'd as a Natural Affection of it self and in its own General and Original Form fit to such a purpose and then God sanctifies it to rhis Great Purpose Acts 4.12 to work this Repentance to Salvation not to be repented of It is an immediate Instrument in the Hand of God to operate under his Spirit to so great an Effect Of this I shall discourse in Three Generals General 1. I begin therefore with a Description of Sorrow first as it is a Natural Affection or Passion of the Humane Nature and then as it is sanctified by God or as it becomes a Sorrow after God and is fitted to so great an End and Purpose and as it is so it is counterdistinguish'd to worldly Sorrow that worketh Death General 2. I will consider the excellent Use and Service of godly Sorrow to so great an End and Putpose as the working Repentance to Salvation General 3. I will open the Wisdom of God and the Reasonableness of his making use of Sorrow and fitting it as after himself or according to himself to so great an End and Purpose and that according to the very Reason and Nature of Things it could not be otherwise but that godly sorrow must be so made use of above and before any other Affection and that it becomes him by whom and for whom are all things so to make use of it General 1. For the Description of this Affection of godly Sorrow First as it is a Natural Affection or Passion of the Humane Nature and then as it is sanctified by God or becomes Sorrow ofter God and is counter-distinguish'd to the sorrow of the World that worketh Death Sorrow then as it is an Affection or Passion of the Humane Nature must be considered Two ways and each of them must be applied to the Sorrow that works Repentance or to Sorrow according to God and so a different and opposite Sorrow to the sorrow of this World 1. Sorrow that is a Humane Passion or Affection must either begin in the Body and so passeth from the Soul and ascends up to the Spirit of a Man or it begins in the higher Region the Spirit and descends by the Soul into the Body and makes Impressions suitable to its own Nature there and the Body is govern'd according to this Affection and to its Place Estimation Power with and Interest in the Spirit Now indeed all Affection and even Passion to speak most strictly and properly is in the Spirit For it is all one to matter how it be used or into what Form it is made to pass or out of what or in disjunction from what Form it is forc'd to move So that All we feel by way of suffering or Enjoyment is by the Spirit 's having a Pleasing or an Afflicting Sense of Things But this I wave as not so necessary to the Practical Discourse of Repentance I intend It is plain and certain the sense of some things begins in the Spirit viz. those things which are proper to the Narure of a Spirit and which are so proper to a Spirit whether it dwelt in a Body or not But yet when the Spirit is affected with them because it inhabits a Body the Affection of the Spirit even whether the Spirit will or not works upon the Matter and Frâ—me of that Body and thereby the Truth and Reality of the Spirit 's being affected is discovered to it self and it may also be thereby discovered to others On the other side there are Passions or Affections that the Spirit is affected with as finding it self mov'd and concern'd as that Frame of Body wherein it dwells is either more or less fited for its Enjoyment of it self in that Body or put quite out of Order or is in pain and afflicted so as to afflict the Spirit And both and each of these is in some Degree serviceable to godly sorrow though the first is the Chief and Principal in godly sorrow 1. The Spirit of Man affected with the consideration of sin as it hath all the Reasons of sorrow in it as
it is a foul and impure and shameful thing and as it is an Offence against the Holy and only Wife and gracious Majesty of God and as it brings Wrath and Ruine and Condemnation upon it contemplates considers and weighs those Reasons and thereby finds it self affected with sorrow and affliction as if it were after the manner of a broken Bone or bruised Flesh Thus we read of a broken and contrite Spirit and of those who are bruised in Spirit and grieved in Spirit and of a wounded and a troubled Spirit and of a sorrowful Spirit And this when it eyes God as a Father in Christ Gracious and Good and ready to be Reconcil'd and to forgive is a true godly Sorrow or a Sorrow after God For it is in the True Region of godly sorrow the Spirit and it hath the Right Sense and Affection even such an apprehension of God And such a Sorrow the Spirit communicates to the Body in which it dwells so as to make the Appearance of it Solemn Humble and Lowly It denies it those Ornaments or Refreshments that it self at other Times desires for it it bridles and curbs its own appetites and desires of pleasure and satisfaction in it it humbles it by Fasting it lays it in the Dust it keeps it waking it dissolves it into Tears and if it be very great as sometimes it dries up the Benign Juices of it and it carries all the Marks of the Spirit so affected And because these arise from a sorrow within after God God is pleased with them and accepts them as signs of such sorrow and calls for them 2. The Sicknesses or Wants or Pains or Notes of Disgrace that the Wise and Holy Providence of God sends sometimes upon the Body that make it an uneasie or a dishonourable Habitation of the Spirit These the Spirit takes Notice of with troublesome and unquiet thoughts the thoughts being in a Motion a Conflict and Agony if by the Grace of God they are guided to search the Causes of these Strokes on the Body and finds them to be an offended Justice a provoked and displeased Holiness upon the account of Sin and Iniquity and that it apprehends These are but the Beginnings of Sorrows and that they are Indications and Fore-bodes of Wrath to come and of further Judgments from Heaven even at the present upon both Body and Spirit if there be not that course taken of seeking Pardon and Reconcilement in Christ and turning from Iniquity These thoughts sanctified and conducted by God upon himself thus upon the occasion of outward affliction become that sorrow after God of which the Apostle speaks and often works that Repentance to salvation never to be Repented of Thus Scripture very often speaks of Outward Afflictions made serviceable to Conversion to returns to God Famine and Pestilence and War and Captivity in the Land of Enemies are Represented in the Prayer of Solomon as great Motives and even procuring and exciting Causes of Humiliation Bethinking our selves turning to the Lord. The Afflictions of Men are often spoken of by God and used as Arguments to such Resentments as call to Self-judging and so to reforming â—ven often not only in the Old but in the New Tectament We are Chasten'd of the Lord that we might not be condemned with the World Affliction yieldeth the peaceable Fruit of Righteousness to them who are exercised thereby 1 Cor. 11.31 Heb. 12.11 Both these Operations of godly sorrow seem to be Represented with a great Elegancy V. 14. and Holy Eloquence Job 33. the first when this Sorrow begins in the Spirit of a Man and Thoughts arising therein God speaks once and twice in a Dream in a Vision of the Night He opens the Ears of Men and sealeth their Instruction That he may withdraw Man from his purpose and hide Pride from Man He brings him to such Humiliation as keeps him from going on in his former purpose Again when sorrow begins in the Body v. 19. He a man any man upon whom the methods of God for Repentance are so laid is chasten'd with pain upon his Bed and the multitude of his Bones with strong Pain so that his Life abhorreth Bread and his Soul dainty meat his Flesh is consumed away that it cannot be seen and his bones that were not seen stick out yea his Soul draweth near unto the Grave and his Life to the Destroyers if there be a Messenger with him an Interpreter one among a thousand to shew to man his uprightness then he is gracious unto him and saith deliver him from going down to the Pit I have found a Ransom his Flesh shall be fresher than a Childs He shall pray unto God and he will be Favourable unto him and he shall see his Face with Joy he will Render unto man his Righteousness And now this sorrow thus after God sanctified thus to have Respect to God and carried out after him is Counter distinguish'd it is most different from the sorrow of the World that worketh Death The sorrow that hath no higher spring than this World works Death that is however the Mind or the Body be Affected when it does not mount up to a consideration of God offended for sin when it does not seek pardon of him and Reconciliation to him in Christ when it only pores upon the things of this World and agitates it self about them it runs down into the dead Sea of Sorrow that weeping and wailing and gnashing of Teeth that is in Hell It is an Idolatrous Sorrow arising from an Heart deeply set on this World and glewed to it and so goes down into the Vault and Pit of eternal Sorrow It tends to the Death of the Body it brings down the Head to the Grave It tends to wear and grind bodily Nature to the Dust every such sorrow not after God that hath no tincture from him on it If it be not Antidoted by sorrow after God and by Repentance to Salvation It tends to eternal Death and is the Inlet unto it For it is certain all sorrow here that comes from Heaven ascends up to Heaven as Water ascends as high as its Spring But that which is of a terrene earthly Nature sinks down to the Center which is the neathermost Hell I come now to the second Head to shew the excellent use and service sorrow after God yeilds in this wise and holy preparation of it by God to that Repentance to salvation not to be Repented of 1 In that so great and principal an Affection of the Soul is given up to God It hath an use and a service to steer the Soul to God For the Affections are as the Rudder of the Soul as the Helm of it guided by the judgment as by a Pilot And these affections are all in a Linck and in a chain If any one of the principal Affections are mov'd that mighty Vessel of the whole Soul is turn'd this way or that way by a very small thing as it may seem
is as it were taking the stone out of the Flesh and giving a Heart of Flesh It is that Spirit of Grace of Ingenuous sense of our Ingratitude and unworthy carriage towards God mentioned before out of Zech. 12. and Ezek. 36. Hereupon the Apostle James presses to a great Mourning after God or exercise of Godly sorrow James 4.8 Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you cleanse your hands you sinners purify your hearts you double minded How should this great Self-Purification be Effected By being Afflicted by mourning and weeping by having the Laughter turned to Mourning and the Joy to Heaviness This Godly Sorrow like washing and rubbing the Hands with Water and the close Application of it softens and loosens the Filth that cleaves so close adheres and sticks so fast to the Hands And it arises from that Love and Compassion that is seated towards our selves in our own Natures which when it is by the Hand of Grace pointed aright It is made a mighty Instrument a mighty Efficacy for Conversion and Repentance because when our great Disgust our Sorrow and Self-Affliction is pitch'd upon sin we cast it off as that which is the reason of our sorrow and that stands in our Eye as hateful loathsome filth and impurity that we can by no means endure and therefore we say to it get ye hence Oh! you Foul and abominable Lusts what have I any more to do with you But more particularly two ways this Godly sorrow works to Conversion Repentance Self-Purification 1. By being so prevailing upon the Soul as to drink up all the impure and unholy Affections in our Hearts God giving it therefore by that his Spirit of Grace and ingenuous sense an ascendency a superiority over all other Affections in the Heart at this time he is working Repentance it drinks up all the pleasurable sensual Affections in a Man when a man is in bitterness as one is in bitterness for his first Born and for an only Begotten Child He hath no more Appetite nor Emotion of his Spirits to Lust and Sensuality and sinful Pleasures than such a one hath to do the usual Entertainments and Pleasures of Life when God therefore calls for this sorrow he looks upon it as a great Offence when there is slaying of Oxen and drinking of Wine Esay 22.13 Amos 6.3 c. lying upon beds of Ivory Chaunting to the sound of Viols Inventing Instruments of Musick like David when there is putting on Apparel and the Furniture of Pride For then he commands us as he did the Children of Israel after the sin of the Golden Calf to put off their Ornaments Exod. 33.5 that he might know what to do to them whether theâ— should as true Penitents be spar'd or destroyed in their Impenitency And indeed when any are under the power of this Godly Sorrow in such a posture to Repentance all such Ornaments are nothing All such pleasures are quite out of Tast The Soul hath no relish of them 2 Godly sorrow thus made an Instrument in the Hâ—nd of Grace for working Repentance hath by that its ascendency and superiority an engagement upon all the other Affections with it self to the working Repentance also this the Apostle shews in the very next words to these we are Discoursing upon 2 Cor. 7.11 For this very self same thing that ye sorrowed after a Godly sort what carefulness it wrought in you how great is the care and sollicitude it works in all that so sorrow to get out of their Sins and to return home to God What Apology for Holyness for God and against Sin what Judgment against sin What Fear and Awe of God striking to the very Heart of sin what vehement desire after God after true Grace and perfect Reformation and this boyling up to Zeal or the heigth of Desire that Powerful Religious Affection under the Operation of which a Man cannot bear Evil no not for a moment And lastly there is an holy Revenge upon sin Sathan lust even a man's sinful self by which the Irreconcilable Hatred to every sin is Discovered and a Monument of that Hatred set up in the Soul Thus works godly sorrow to Repentance but the forrow of the World having nothing to do with God with sense of his Displeasure for sin with sin as so great a reason of sorrow and trouble the Spirit remains in all its former Frame of union to the world and to sin and so with the whole state of sin and of the World and of sorrow it sinks down to the center to the place of sorrow for ever For when sorrow that is the Instrument of God in working Repentance does not prevail to that God's end it more certainly sinks down to its Center and that with great Violence as we see in those fore-nam'd Examples of Cain Esau Saul Akitophel Judas who not sorrowing to Repentance went down with greater violence to the Chambers of Death and Sorrow even everlasting sorrow 5. The efficacy of godly sorrow to Repnntance is that it makes the Soul very humble before God the natural effect of sorrow is to meeken and bow the Spirit heaviness in the Heart of Man makes it stoop Prov. 12.25 the guise and mein or Posture of sorrow is to bow down the head like a Bull-rush The Hipocritical mourner does so to imitate true sorrow Esay 58.5 Now this indeed except it turn to God and have Relation to him is the meanness and pusilanimity of a Man but it is the true greatness of Mind to lye down before God and Tremble in his Presence as the melted Metal trembles and quivers before the Founder This dissolving melting Efficacy of godly sorrow is that which turning to God makes the Heart submit it self as the Apostle James speaks in the same Context c. 4.10 Vnder the mighty hand of God Acts c. 9.6 c. 16.30 that he may lift it up it says to God Lord what wilt thou have me to do It says what shall I do to be sav'd What shall I do what shall I do in obedience to God It treads softly before God as if it said to him Lord which way wilt thou have me to go Which Ahab doing tho not with a perfect Heart receiv'd some degree of Favour by 1 Kings 21.27 29. Now this Humility how acceptable is it to God! How yeilding to his Command God gives grace to it Esay 66.2 c. 57.15 God looks off from Heaven and Earth to look to that man that is of a contrite Spirit and trembles at his word He that is the high and lofty one that dwells in the high and holy Place and Inhabits Eternity will Dwell also with the humble spirit to revive the Spirit of the Humble Job 33.17 This sorrow hides Pride from man as the expression is in Job and so fits it to all holy returns to God by Repentance It withdraws man from his purpose It changes the purpose of Man Acts 11.13 that which was
This seems so Reasonable and even Necessary that when it is first said He that hideth and covereth his sins shall not prosper Then he that confesseth and forsaketh shall find mercy It is supposed if any Man does not confess he will not forsake but if he confesses he does it in order to forsaking But yet because Men are so apt to deceive themselves with Formality and to think God may be so put off and pleas'd he adds He that not only confesleth but does that which is so necessary with Confession forsakes shall find mercy Thus Solomon 1 Kings 8. all along his Prayer joyns many Expressions that are the undoubted Acts of sincere Repentance together with the Confession of sin And if Confession be thus joyn'd with Sorrow Shame Trouble Hatred of sins and utter separation from them it could not deservedly fall under that Ridicule and Contempt that prophane men put upon it as if it were the telling God only the Story of our wicked Hearts or Lives But without other sincere effective Powers of Repentance it too justly falls under that Reproach but any such Reproach our Lord will return upon us and our Confession 2. In Repentance there is an earnest and most vehement but also most humble Application to the Throne of Grace in Jesus Christ for Pardon and Reconciliation and with such a Continuance and Perseverance as till there be some Answer that God is our Gracious Father in Christ that we hear the Joyful sound that our sins are forgiven us It is not only that common and formal way of asking Pardon whether we mind it or not but to make it our Business the Aim and Design of our Souls till we receive some gracious assurance that our Desires are answered and our Prayers heard The truly Repenting sinner sitteth alone and keepeth silence that is he is in a waiting and earnestly expecting posture He putteth his mouth in the dust if there may be hope He saith of God He is my portion he hath promised pardon theâ—efâ—re will I hope in him For indeed the Lord is good to all that thus wait for him to the soul that thus seeketh him It is good therefore for a man that he both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord It is good for a man to bear the Y ke â—n his youth Till G d is pleas'd to say to him Be of good cheer I am â—y salvation Fear not I have blotted out thy Transâ—ressions as a cloâ—d and thy sins as a thick clâ—ud When they are sought fâ—r there shâ—ll be none and though they are sâ—aâ—ch'd for they shall not be found For thus the trulâ— repenting sinner fâ—llâ—ws hard after God Repentance is a Grace on purpâ—se for the suing out â—ardon and Reconciliation And because it is moved and acted by Faith it seeks this Pardon in Christ and through the Mediator â—y whom alone Repentance bath place and from whom alone the Notion of it springs as hath been shewn Thus David in his Repentance renewed through the whole Psalm 51. repeats and redoubles his praâ—er fâ—r pardon as if he would not cease n r be quiet till he had the a â—urance of it He turns himself therefore every way to God and all the Efficacies of his Grace for Pardon and with a Respect to the Blood of Christ under the Hysop Particular 3. In true Repentance the Soul makes Full and Fâ—â—m Resolâ—tions of New Obedience and Amendment of Life and such as are ready to issue out into Aâ—tiâ—n and this through the Grace and Power and assistance of the Divine Spirit And herein indeed is the very great Point of Repentancâ— anâ— that gives Evidence to the Truth of all that goes before When there is such a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such an after sollicitude and serious afflictive Concernedness for the sinfulness and unholiness of our former Actions and Life that we can no longer endure that State or Course in regard of the very anguish and trouble of Thoughts upon us as it also issues into a strict Care and Government over all our Future Actions to keep them within the Holy Rule and Government of the Word of God the Laws of Holiness and of Obedience to him And herewith is joyned a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such an After-mind such an After-counsel such Second Thoughts as change the whole Purpose and Manner of Life Matt. 3.8 such an engaging the Heart to approach to God Jere. 30.21 So that the True Penitent is prepared and actually brings forth Fruits meet for Repentance and amendment of life Acts 26.20 There is a turning from Darkness that is from the whole Night of Ignorance Injudicious Mind Unholiness of Action Sinfulness of Life under a continued Night and Darkness to Light that is to a true sound Judgment and Mind â—ven the Spirit of a sound Mind and rightly Inform'd Vndâ—rstanding to an high and perfect sense of things and to an universal Holiness Purity and â—leansâ—dness from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit and so a perfecting of Holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 a just Account of â—he Time past as that which may have much more than sufficed to have wrought the Will of the Gentiles and to have spent in the Lusts of our Ignorance and now we are wholly Dedicated to God This is the Noble Grace of Repentance that is indeed to salvation and never to be repented of So wonderful and admirable a Contrivance of the Grace of God and such an Illuststration thereof that Angels even the whole Heaven Rejoyceth over one sinner that repents more than over Ninety Nine just persons that need no Repentance That is there is a greater Resplendency and shining out of the Glory of the Divine Compassion and Efficacious Power of his Spirit in Repentance than even in an Innocent State It is the Joyful Astonishment of Angels and Saints They adore and throw their Crowns before God even the Crowns of Angelical Perfection Luke 15.10 and adore the Infinite and Incomprehensible Mystery of the Divine Will that when the sinning Angels had no allowance of after or second thoughts of after-care or judging better of an after-mind but are under Final Impenitency and in Chains of Darkness to the Judgment of the Great Day when Repentance to Life is granted to men The Lord hath been pleas'd to bring out of that Reprobate Silver in it self such Vessels of Mercy Jerem. 6.30 which he had before Prepared to Glory 2 Tim. 2.21 making them by Repentance Vessels meet for the masters use prepared to every good Work and who herein yeild this great Glory to Righteousness and Hâ—lyness that upon full Jâ—dgment and Experiment made They imcomparably prefer Holyness to all the Pleasures of Sin that are but for a season and choose even the bitter Draught if I may so speak the bitter Waters of Repentance before the Intoxicating Cup of the Pleasures of Sin that are but for a season and
the Spirit of Bondage Rom. 8.15 For that Law of Self-preservation being seated so deep in Man the fear of an evil so Destructive to â—our Beings as wrath to come and the eternal Displeasure of the Supreme Being Nothing moves so strongly and powerfully nothing makes so violent concussions in the Heart of Man as these deep apprehensions or tears up the very Roots of that old sinful Frame and make it fly every way to change its Scituation and Posture for the avoiding of that Displeasure Thus Nineveh affrightned with that present dreadful Dâ—nunciation of Judgment turn'd it self every way to Attonement with God although the Judgment then Denounc'd did not râ—ach to Everlasting Punnishment how much more do the Apprehensions of Wrath to come and ever to come as was before observed of it move And though this is not the highest and noblest Kind of Motive yet it is such as our Lord earnestly and doubly recommends to his Friends I say unto you my Freinds fear not them that kill the Body and have no more that they can do Luke 12.14 but I will forewarn you whom you shall fear fear him that after he hath kill'd hath power to cast into Hell yea I say unto you fear him 3. The so greâ—t Assurance God hath given in Jesus Christ the Mediator and Redeemer that our sâ—â—s shall be Pardoned upon our Repentance is a most excellent motivâ— to Repentance and follows the former as that still Voice wherein God is did the â—arthquake 1 Kingâ— c 19.12 This Assurance is that which gives Life and Spirit to Repentance and also the true Evaâ—gelical Sweetness and Divine Temper to iâ— which else would turn into the Horrors of Cain and Esau which afterwards relaps'd into a Worâ—ly sâ—curity senselesness and sensiâ—ility for Cain went out from the Pâ—ese ce of the Lord Gen. 4.15 c. 36.15 and dwelt in the Land of Nod and fell to Building Esau bâ—came a greaâ— Earthly Prince and Faâ—her to many Dâ—kes without any further thought of the Birthrigâ—t or Blessing or else the ho â—ors arising from the sense of sin and Divine Dâ—spleasure turn into the Dâ—spair of Saul and Judas â—â—at are but the forâ—casts of Hell and everlasting sâ—pâ— aâ—ion from the presence of God and the light of his Countenance This sense of the Love and Favor of God in Christ is that which draws the Soul by the melting and dissolving that Stony Heart and making that stiff Neck and Iron Sinnew to be ready and pliant to all Holy Rules and Heavenly Motions and sweetens fear sorrow and horror into Love and Reverence and filial dispâ—sitions to Obedience while there are any beginnings of shedding abroad the Love of God in the Heart and when the Love of Christ begins to Constrain us This glance of the Eye of Christ on Peter wiâ—h Love and Grace made him go out and weep bitterly this sense of Mercy humbled David and Distill'd into all those Heavenly Penitential Expressions we have Psal 51. 4. When by the grace of God the Heart is deeply Affâ—cted with the sight of the great Evil abominable Foulness and Hatefulness of sin and with the Beauty of Holiness this is a most effective motive to Repentance when we are struck with the sense of the Intrins ck shamefulness of every evil way the falseness of those appearances of good that aâ—e found upon sin but werâ— an Inheritance of Lies it makes us hate every false way and cast away the Things that can yeild no true good or profâ— and of which we have reason for ever â—o be ashamâ—d the end of which is Death Rom. 6. Through the word of thy Lips I keep my sâ—lf fâ—â—m the Paths of the Destroyer Psal 17.4 Through thy Precepts I get understanding therefore I hate every false way Thy word is very pure therefâ—re thy sâ—rvant loveth it I hâ—ve found thy Precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate every false way The righteousness of thy Testimonies is everlasting give me understanding and I shall live Psalm 119. The Law of the Lord is right converting the soul the testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple the Statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart How sweet are thy words to my taste sweeter than honey to my mouth Moreover by them is thy servant warned and in the keeping of them there is great reward Psalm 19 All these are Expressions of the mighty Power of Holiness moving to Repentance from the Beauty and Amiableness of it self and the Odiousness of Contrary Sin and Evil. 5. The Word of God throughout all these is the Instrument of the Holy Spirit and with the Variety of its Divine Representations Collects and Diffuses into the Soul and Universâ—l Spirit of a Man being suited to every Faculty and Affection the Reasons and mighty Efficacies â—oth of Fear and Hope viz. the Wrath and Indignation against sin of Grace and Mercy in Christ to the truly Repenting sinner and together with them the Beauty of Holiness and the Hatefulness of Sin For the Word of God is the Sword of the Spirit executing Vengeance on sin and yet sparing the Humble Returning sinner and effectually moving him by it to Repentance 6. The sixth and last Motive I shall use is the true Consider tion of the Gospel state both as it is now and as it shall be in its Glorious Manifestation For that being a state so New and so different from the present state of Sin and Flesh and Corruption we can never be suited to it but by this great Change by Repentance for it the putting off the Old Man which is corrupt according to its deceitful Lusts Ephes 4.22 23. and putting on the New Man which is renewed after God in Knowledge Righteousness and true Holiness is most absolutely necessary to enjoy this Kingdom And this is the Truth of Repentance It is the having such an Eye upon him 2 Cor. 5.15 who is Risen from the Dead and to the Resurrection of the Dead it self as to know neither Persons nor Things as we knew them before after the Flesh On this account our Lord sent John as an Herald before him preaching and saying Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand And as soon as John had finish'd his Ministry of Repentance to shew it was not only the Message of the Fore runner but of the Lord himself whose way he was to prepare Jesus himself from that time began to preach and to say Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Matth. 3.1 c. 4.17 he shewed to us this New state requires New Persons New Hearts and Spirits New Lives and Actions to lay the Foundations and Beginnings of it here and now and that it may break out into Salvation and Glory at the Glory of that Kingdom That it may be so tryed now as to be found unto Honour Praise and Glory at the appearance of Jesus Christ I come now to the second part of this
and Applying as they find just occasion all the Promises to the True and sincere Repenters and the Denunciations and threatnings to the Obdurate Obstinate and Impenitent Sinners and on Insincere Repentance and if they do this Errante Clave not according to the Truth of the Gospel it neither Binds on Earth nor in Heaven else the Power of the Church or the Ministers were Despotic and Lordly they would Exercise Authority to purpose which Christ says They shall not nor be accounted Evergetae Indulgers of a Repentance however but Counterfeit or Insincere or on the other side Dominate over true Repentanc Luke 22.25 They have no Dominion over their Faith no more have they over their Repentance but are helpers of their Joy or Godly sorrow and the Publishers of the Wrath to come on all obstinate Sinners or Hypocritical Repenters 2 Cor. 1.24 c. 10.6 Answ 3. Although it is indeed the Duty of a sincere Penitent to Ask Forgiveness of those whom they have offended either by Injury or Scandal and to make all the Spiritual Reparations they can in case of Scandal and in and by this Worlds goods as they are able in case of that Kind of Injuries Yet it is also the Duty of those who are or have been so Trespass'd upon either way to Forgive and under that highest Obligation that except they so forgive as They are Commanded their Heavenly Father will not forgive them their Trespasses But whether they do according to their Duty or do not God retains those supreme Keys of Pardon of sin and Absolution of the Penitent in his own Hand and he hath the right and just Title so to do For he is the not only Law-Giver Paramount and if there be no Law of his broken there is no Transgression but if he Pardons and Justifies none can condemn Transgression is Cover'd and taken away whether men forgive or not else they could not be Blessed to whom he imputes not sin if men had power still to Impute it And lastly he is the Sovereign Proprietor the Offender and the Offended are alike his They are both not only his Vassals but have Forfeited themselves and their All to his Justice upon all these Accounts David said against thee Psal 51.4 thee only have I sinned and not against Vriah but in such an Inferiority as that my offence against him is Bound or Loosed as thou Pardonest so then if God Pardons though Vriah's Family or Posterity or himself if he could have surviv'd had not Pardon'd yet God would be Justified in Speaking or declaring David a Pardon'd Sinner and clear in Judging him so in so taking away his Iniquity that he should not Dye for it And this is the true sense of that great Penetential acknowledgment of David and not any intention of setting himself up in his Royal Dignity as above the general and ordinary Rank of Sinners or Offenders He had something else to do when he was thus humbling himself before God and beseeching mercy than to Magnify himself above his fellow Creatures He was laying fast hold of Infinite Power and Grace and Pardon and from which there was no Appeal For unto thee Lord belongs Mercy uncontrollable who hast the Ultimate Judicature of Rendring to the Trespassor and Trespassed according to their Works Now Seeing the generality of Christians trust to Death-Bed-Repentance I should give a Resolution to that great and concernful Question whether there be a possibility of a Sinner and saving Death-Bed-Repentance But in answer to that there is added unto this Treatise of Repentance a Discourse Printed several years ago of the same sense and Spirit with this Doctrine of Repentance and is therefore under review and as in second Edition presented with it I will therefore conclude this with some few and short Practical Inferences the whole being compos'd to Use and Practise Infer 1. How admirably Wise and Holy is God in his Grace Mercy and Pardoning Goodness He is not Loose or Prodigal in his Forgiveness but hath provided this Admirable Grace and Duty of Repentance to shew that as he does not cut off Awes of him and Reverential Returns to him by offering no Mercy but giving up to Despair so he does not turn Wild the Hearts and Consciences of them whom he Pardons by Licentious Forgiveness but so stated and bounded that his Grace may not be turn'd to Wantonness And this is the Name of God in the Redeemer he is a Holy and wise Redeemer he does not Redeem without Repentance he hath upon him the Spirit of Wisdom and Vnderstanding and of the Fear of the Lord he is quick of Vnderstanding in the Fear of the Lord he does not judg after the sight of the Eyes nor Reprove after the hearing of the Ears But righteousness is the girdle of his Loyns and Faithfulness the girdle of his Reines Esay 11.2 Let us then aright understanding this Wise Grace of the Gospel as not take Sacriregiously out of it these Richest Jewels of its Wisdom and Holyness denying Repentance in either our Doctrine and Principles or in our Lives and Practise Infer 2. Seeing God hath not only in his Gospel but by the very Law and as I may call it Gospel of Natural Conscience Commanded all Men every where to Repent and Because that is not full enough clear enough to lead to true saving Repentance he hath therefore written it to us with the Sun-beam of his Gospel let us therefore think If it be Intollerable for Tyre and Sidon for Pagans and Indians in the Day of Judgment How much more will it be for us in that day For if they are Condemned who have not Comported with so clear so absolutely necessary so Wise so Holy so every way Rational Gracious Inviting Doctrine made known to be so by a much dimmer Light what will be done to us who have not been drawn and led to it by so Glorious Rayes of the Sun of Righteousness whom such Riches of Goodness have not led to Repentance Infer 3. How Adorable is the Grace of God in Jesus Christ who hath not only given us the Doctrine of Repentance but by his Spirit gives the very Grace it self He hath put no Trust in our own Powers of Vnderstanding Will Affections Natural Conscience Reason or Morality but only in his own Spirit and Grace in his Son nor doth he Accept our Repentance upon its worth valew perfection but wraps it up in the rich Robes of the Righteousness of Jesus Christ and so it is pleasing in his sight so he does not lessen nor derogate from the graciousness of his Gospel by Imposing such a Duty But he magnifies it by giving so high and admirable a Grace and Divine Power within us Infer 4. Seeing Repentance is a Grace of such truly Evangelical Excellencies so agreeable to the Infinite Wisdom and Holiness as well as Mercy and Compassion of the Redeemer let us trie this Gold in the Fire of severest search and examination by the Gospel Light
a shaking so universal and things have never yet been so shaken but they have gotten again into their old posture state and as we say wont so as to need to be shaken again But this once is like the Expression Jerem. 16.21 Behold I will for this once I will cause them to know my might I will do it so at the Great Conversion of the Gentiles then spoken of It shall never need to be done any more They shall know by that once for ever Even as it shall be known to my People Israel Amos 4.13 For in this Kingdom that Name is known indeed which was known but in Type Exod. 6.3 that my name is Jehovah God hath done these things in a Degree and in some measure a Hundred and a Hundred Times But now they shall be done once for all I am fully assured we shall All be at this shaking of the Earth You may think you may be in your Graves but you shall certainly be brought forth to see and feel God's doing this thing once The Earth shall cast out it 's Dead by the beginnings of it that all may see it in its Fulness Now this Doing the Thing shall make a great Change a Transpose of the Things that are or have been made or done The Word Metathesis signifies a Dispose of Things out of the Places where they had been into Places where they had not been before or into a different Order or State And it is of very great importance because it may be a Transpose for the better or for the worse Enoch was thus Transpos'd the same Word is us'd several times concerning him Heb. 11.5 and it was highly for the better he was Translated to Heaven without Dying So Transpos'd It is used for the Galatians being Removed to another Gospel and that was for the worse Gal. 1.5 This shake of the Earth shall make a great Transpose of Things Many poor Persons that have feared God and yet embrac'd Dunghils who have been forc'd to lye on the Earth in the Dust and in the filth of Things shall be Transpos'd for they shall Inherit the Throne of Glory 1 Sam. ch 2. The Bodies of Saints that lye in the Earth or wherever in the Dark the Dust of Death shall be Transpos'd they shall shine above But on the other side the Great the Rich and the Brave and the Honorable that have been High and Honorable they will be wofully Transpos'd they shall be turned down into a State of Everlasting Contempt And so there shall be a Translation a Transpose of the very Creation out of this Earth as under the Curse and Defilement into a new Earth and of the Heaven into a new Heaven not where Spiritual Wickednesses but Christ and his Saints shall inhabit Things shall not cease to be but shall be changed and removed some for the better some for the worse as to themselves But all Things of this World shall then be chang'd and remov'd All the Things that have been made or done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There are great Things in the World of all kinds made or done Great Palaces great Cities great Temples or as we call them Churches Great Castles Fortifications Navies There are other great Things made and done There are the several Laws and Constitutions of Government great Volumes of Books great Furniture of Palaces and Houses Bravery of Equipage and Apparel exquisite Engines and curious Pictures all these are Things that have been made or done There are the heaps of Gold and Silver so impressed so minted so coined All these and an unexpressible variety more shall be Transpos'd for the Day of the Lord shall be upon them all Esay chap. 2. It shall be upon the High and Lofty every one that is lifted up shall be brought low It shall be upon all the Cedars of Lebanon and upon all the Oaks of Bashan both in a natural and figurative Sense and upon all the High Mountains the mountainous Towers and Piles of Building upon all great Ships those floating Palaces the Loftiness of Men shall be brought low and the Haughtiness of Men shall be humbled and the High Looks shall be bowed down And they shall cast their Images of Gold and Silver he means not only their Idolatrous Images but their minted Gold and Silver bearing the Images of Princes which Gold and Silver they commit Idolatry with also to the Bats and the Moles to go into the Caves and the Rocks and the Tops of the rugged Rocks for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his Majesty and all this in the Day when he rises to shake terribly once for all the Earth Oh how great will this Transpose then be And then all the Religion that Men have made shall become a perfect Transpose into a Nullity and indeed there is not a greater Poema or more made thing than False Religion and particularly the Religion of Popery it is a strange kind of Fabrick a strange kind of Frame so indeed is Mahometanism and so was Paganism heretofore but none like that of Popery But yet whatever hath been of the Substance of either true Natural or Revealed Religion in any False Religion adulterating it shall be then Transpos'd back into Truth and all else shall be abolished And lastly That Heaven and Earth that are now viz. since the Flood to which Flood this once more may refer shall be changed and transposed by Fire all shall be removed by Fire as I remember that most Learned and Ingenious and Christian Philosopher Dr. Burnet of the Charterhouse shews Theory of the Earth 1st and 2d Parts How much the State of our Heaven and Earth as before the Flood was chang'd and Transpos'd by the force of Water the Water of the Flood for the worse But they shall by the force of Fire be Purified and Renewed and Rescituated for Beauty and Glory as he also asserts All shall be Transpos'd All shall come under a new Make It is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Work of God it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What hath been already made It shall be chang'd by him that will say from the Throne upon which he sits Behold I make all new Rev. 21.5 They had been made before but saith he Now I come to make All over anew I will bring them to that Excellent State wherein they shall continue till God be All in All. For only the Things that cannot be shaken shall Remain Now what are those Things that cannot be shaken They are the Blood Sacrifice and Redemption of Christ his Redemption and Intercession these are for ever They remain in his Priesthood for ever after the Order of Melchisedech after the Power of an Endless Life The Spirit of God in his Grace upon his Servants in Conversion Faith Repentance Holiness shall remain as in the Glory and Salvation they are unto This is an incorruptible Seed from the Word and Truth of God that abideth for ever He that
of deep Tribulation and Temptation such as none ever was before to All but the Servants of God and Christ Dan. 12.1 Mat. 24.21 Rev. 3.10 c. 7.14 Now therefore It becomes him by whom are All things and for whom are All Things seeing he hath determined so great an Earthquake at last to give such Terellaes of it such little Parts Pieces and Models of it that might Inlighten Awaken and Assure the World concerning it and to have set up such a Pyramid of it by the Flood in general to all the World and to Sodom and the Cities about it in more particular in the Beginning of the World and to speak in the Eloquence of what he will do on every occasion of a greater Judgment on any Nation or People and to ioyn with it the Thunder and Lightnings of his Power and Voice that are as the Shakings of Heaven and generally fall in with the Shaking of the Earth And thus we find all along the Scripture and with great Relation to this very Earthquake ushering in the Kingdom of Christ and the Destruction of Babylon the great Symbol of his Enemies so Psal 18.7 Esay 13.13 with very many Pieces more And this is to make the Thoughts of it familiar to Men and to acquaint them throughly with God's great purpose herein for hereby a short Work will God make on Earth yet every Man Woman and Child shall be rais'd on purpose to see this great Sight and to feel it The Earth shall cast out her dead for it and no more cover them This is that Earthquake in which God arises to shake terribly the Earth Esay 2. wherein it shall be indeed as a chaâ—ed Roe and as a Sheep no man cares to take up tho now they are so greedy of it Then the Lord will make it empty and under the great Desolation overthrowing and turning upside down Persons and Things and all distinction of Servants Masters and Mistresses Purchasers Sellers Lenders Borrowers as is describ'd Esay 24. which shall end in the Sun 's being confounded the Moon asham'd when God comes to Reign before his Ancients in Glory And in the New Testament we find at the Death of our Lord Jesus Christ Mat. 27.50 when he gave up that mighty Breath and with that loud Voice commended that immortally blessed Spirit into the Hand of God There was a Great Earthquake and the Rocks rent and the Graves opened and after his Resurrection many Bodies of Saints came forth and appeared to many in the Holy City a most admirable Type of the Last Great Earthquake At the Resurrection of Christ there was again an Earthquake Matth. 28.2 At the Pouring out of the Spirit Acts 2.1 There was from Heaven a mighty rushing Wind that fill'd the House and so must needs shake it and as the Appearance of Fiery Tongues when the Apostles Pray'd after that solemn Conference with the Elders of the Jews the House shook c. 4. When Paul and Silas had praised God in Prison there was an Earthquake and the Foundations of the Prison were shaken the Doors opened and the Chains of every one were loosed Acts 16.25 All these were real Historical Earthquakes or Matters of Fact and they are also great Types and Emblems with Relation to what shall be at the Kingdom of Christ and even Predictions and lively Assurances thereof In the Revelation that most August Prophecy of the Kingdom of Christ we read of Four great Earthquakes that were so many Advances of the Kingdom of Christ 1. That grand Deturbation of or dismounting Paganism or the casting down the Dragon or Devil inhabiting it from Heaven who was worshipped in Paganism as a God and all his Host in the Fourth or Roman Empire were cast down with him when that Empire in Constantine became Christian And this was celebrated by those lofty Expressions concerning it as a great Shaking even of Heaven and Earth Rev. 6.12 c. 12.5 as shall be at the Kingdom of Christ. 2. The final Extirpation of Paganism or Rooting it out though with that unhappy Revolution of Antichristianism ready to come in with the Barbarous Nations into that Empire and so undermining the Kingdom of Christ. This was at the famous Victory of Theodosius And this was as Church Historians tell us with a very great Tempest of Thundring and Lightning and motion of the Earth in the Letter as well as the Prophetic Representation of the Thunder Lightnings Voices and Earthquake the great Emblems of the Kingdom of Christ 3. The Earthquake that shall be at the Rising of the Witnesses when that Great City whose Emblem is Ten or Tenth in regard of the Ten Kings who give their Kingdom to the Beast that carries it shall fall Rev. 11. cap. 17. 4. The whole Time of the Seventh Trumpet shall in regard of the mighty Effects and Events be a continual Earthquake even till the great and real Shake of Heaven and Earth the once more in the Text that what cannot be shaken may remain as hath been explained Rev. 16.18.20 compared with c. 11. Now that Earthquake nam'd last but this last viz. the Fall of the great Antichristian State I affirm to be so near as 1697. approaching wherein the Kingdom of Christ shall be in its Succession Now what arises from all this Inference but that it may both urge the Necessity and give all Invitations and Incitements to Repentance which cannot be higher express'd than in the Apostle's own Words as 't is us'd in this Context Let us have Grace or rather Take Hold lay earnest Hold of Divine Grace and Power in Christ that we may serve him with Reverence or all Holy Awes of Modesty and Shamefacedness as the Angels that cover Faces and Feet lest we give distaste and with good Heed-taking as the Israelites that kept within bounds lest God should have broken out And this Service of God with holy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Modesty and shame of our own Unworthiness and horrid Nakedness This Good Heed-taking not to run into God as a Consuming Fire is most shewn exercis'd and practis'd in timely Repentance For all at that Day of Earthquake Thunders and Lightnings once for All All must be near for God will come near to them as a swift Witness and to All not Repenting and Reconcil'd in Christ he will be a Consuming Fire Mal. 3.5 With this Heb. 12. And to this purpose Let these very late Motions of the Earth be consider'd in all the foregoing Discourse for I cannot but be perswaded they are Pledges of that great Change that shall suddenly be in the World in the Fall of the whole Papal and Antichristian State besides their general strong Motive to Repentance as they speak God both in his Divine Power and Ability to execute Wrath as also in his Goodness Long-suffering and Patience leading to Repentance and how much more if the Approach of his Kingdom it self the greatest Motive to Repentance be by it declar'd so near That I may therefore
the full purpose of the Heart before was to cleave to sin and the world now the heart cleaves to God with its full purpose This humble broken Spirit is the Sacrifice of God the Sacrifice he will not despise because it is ready to yeild up it self in all obedience to him Psal 51.17 But the sorrow of the World not eying God nor having regard to him never changes the Heart nor Life into obedience to him and so leaves a man in the same lost undone state and so becomes desperate Sorrow and Anguish as the Scripture calls it Esay 8.22 and may be most fitly described by Jer. c. 4.28 They are all greivous Revolters they are Brass and Iron they are all Corrupters the Bellows are burnt the Lead is consumed of the Fire the Founder melteth in vain for the Evil of the Heart is not pulled away reprobate silver shall men call them because the Lord hath rejected them When God therefore as the great Founder Casting men as into the Furnace of sorrow they are not purged fâ—om Evil the Melting is in vain and they are therefore Rejected by God as Reprobate Silver When Sorrow and Affliction which are as the Chirurgery or Blood-Letting of the gracious Hand of God Effects nothing of Good it is as the Corruption of the whole Mass of Blood and is certainly to Death 6. When sorrow is placed upon offence against a Person and upon unthankful and disingenuous Treaty of him there arises a Love and Compassion to that Person a shame to offend further a resolution to make him all the reparations we are able and the greater the Bitterness the greater the Effect And though these cannot be properly placed as issuing from the Creature towards the Creator yet Scripture representing God as hath been said Grieved Peirced press'd with Sin it represents the grieved sorrowing relenting sinner so Affected as if there were an Ingenuous even Compassion and Love towards God the Creator and unwillingness so to grieve and provoke any further It represents therefore the highest degrees of Bitterness and a sorrow as for a First Born Zech. 12.10 and for an only begotten Child or Son or like that most compassionate Lamentation for the excellent Prince Josiah 2 Chron. 25.25 slain at Megiddo that was so continued a sorrow as to be spoken of in Lamentation to that day as Scripture uses to speak now seeing Repentance it self as hath been shewn in the general Nature of it hath so much of this The sorrow that is Affected like it is most fitted and prepard to work it and it is so blessed by God to work it whereas the sorrow of the World is like Clouds without this Rain of Heaven and Wells without this Water of Salvation and therefore settles as into the Lake of the second Death and smells of its Brimstone And thus far I have proceeded to make out the serviceableness of godly sorrow or sorrow after God that works Repentance to Salvation never to be Repented of General 3d. I come now to the third General concerning sorrow for Sin viz. To shew the Wisdom of God and the Reasonableness of his making use of sorrow and fitting it as after himself or according to himself to so great an end and purpose and that according to the very Reason and Nature of Things it could not be otherwise but that godly sorrow must be so made use of above and before any other Affection and that it becomes him by whom are all things and for whom are all things so to make use of it 1. There can be according to what the Apostle says no other object of Rational Intellectual Sorrow but only the loss of the Favour of God or his displeasure for sin or subordinated to it which makes it sorrow after God For if on one side the sorrow so plac'd and fix'd hath so blessed Effects that he that so sorrows receives no iniury by it but so great good as Repentance to Salvation never to be Repented of that it is not so much Lost as chang'd into Fulness of Joy and so perfected and on the other side that sorrow laid out on any other object which is sorrow after the World works Death Then it must needs become the wise and gracious God of whom by whom are all things in bringing many Sons to Glory to bring them to Perfection by such a sorrow as this For if God was pleas'd to make such a Rational Intellectual Nature as man that might though made Holy fall into sin It must needs be that it must have a fitness to turn it self with sorrow upon such an evil and reason of sorrow as God offended and displeas'd for sin supposing a man by that sin had not lost either the use of his Understanding or not lost the sense of God Holiness and Goodness seeing if it did not lye Dead and Benummed or strongly diverted and turned off from its Object or that God does not appear an Irreconcileable Judg and Revenger and give up man to the wickedness and rage of Death It must so turn Whenever therefore God by his grace in Christ and by his Spirit turns any sinner to himself and stirs up those Powers of understanding and Conscience after himself The very order of the Creation of God Requires that the understanding and Natural Conscience and Affection of Man should be turn'd upon him displeas'd by Sin by this humble sorrow of Love even as upon his wrath and Vengeance with a sorrow of Pain Fear and Terror so that both the Bondage of Fear of Death Heb. 2.15 and the Reverence of godly Fear and Love move to this sorrow and the wise order of Things settled by God cannot allow it otherwise On the other side if the turn of the Rational Nature and Affection be drawn out upon the sense of any evil with trouble and dislike and reflection on its disagreeableness and inconveniency and yet its pressure upon it which is sorrow grief and sadness it must either be turn'd upon God offended and displeas'd by sin or it is to no purpose of good that there is such a Passion or Affection in man For if it be plac'd on any other object it is but sorrow of this World how just so ever in regard of any evil of suffering it may seem to be It is but sorrow to Death and so of no good at all to us but evil till it be deriv'd into a higher and more excellent Channel So that it may be said of this sorrow as Solomon says of Laughter It is madness and what doth it And in place of Thorns crackling under a Pot It is as the slow Fire Eccles 7.2 c. of too near agreement with that of Brimstone of the Lake It is not of any merciful or gracious use but for the manifestation of the wrath and displeasure of God against sin 2. Let us consider seriously what Jesus Christ our Lord suffered under the sense of sin and then think whether